Main Cast: Thora Birch, Desmond Harrington, Embeth Davidtz, Daniel Brocklebank
Release Year: 2001
Country: UK
Run Time: 102 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
A fun-filled getaway for four teenagers becomes a season in Hell in this tense British thriller. Liz Dunn (Thora Birch) is a student at an exclusive private school who is head over heels for Mike Steel (Desmond Harrington), a handsome classmate whose father is a well-known American rock star. Liz, however, is self-conscious about her looks and is convinced Mike would rather be with the prettier girls in her class. Liz is also unenthusiastic about an upcoming field trip, in which she and the other students will have to camp out for three days while studying local geography. Liz confesses her infatuation with Mike to Martin Taylor (Daniel Brocklebank), a science-minded geek and longtime friend who happens to be in love with Liz, though she prefers to ignore it. Martin proposes a solution to both of Liz's problems; he's found an underground bunker built during World War II near the school grounds, and he arranges a little party in which Liz and Mike will spend the three days of the field trip in the bunker, with class couple Geoff (Laurence Fox) and Frankie (Keira Knightley) going along, giving Liz a perfect chance to impress Mike with her charm. The students lay in a supply of food, water, and booze to last them for three days, but after 72 hours, they discover they've been locked in, and they're not sure if Martin intends to let them out. The Hole also stars Embeth Davidtz as a psychiatrist who consults with Liz after her ordeal. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
It looks like just another "kill the teens one at a time" horror thriller, but that is wrong, wrong, wrong. Those expecting the usual will either be put off by how much of their brains and emotions they need to use, or they'll be pleasantly surprised by the originality. As told in vivid flashbacks to Liz's psychiatrist (Embeth Davidtz), the harrowing events that take place in the titular hole keep shifting like a teen version of Rashomon, and the film overall is instantly elevated far beyond the routine. Thora Birch continues to impress as the love-struck college girl who finds herself amid a singularly ugly turn of events. Director Nick Hamm keeps a firm hand on the throttle, perhaps at the expense of character development, but the performances more than make up for it. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
Steven Waddington - Tom Howard; Gemma Craven - Mrs. Dunn; Kelly Hunter - D.I. Chapman; Emma Griffiths-Malin - Daisy; Anastasia Hille - Gillian; Laurence Fox - Geoff; Keira Knightley - Frankie; Gemma Powell - Minnie
Credit
Nick Hamm - Director, Niven Howie - Editor, Clint Mansell - Composer (Music Score), Eve Stewart - Production Designer, Denis Crossan - Cinematographer, Pippa Cross - Producer, Jeremy Bolt - Producer, Ben Cort - Screenwriter, Caroline Ip - Screenwriter, Guy Burt - Book Author
